Schrodinger's Cat

Help raise money for breast

cancer with Schrödinger's Cat

Admission is free April 19^th

7 to 11 Elk's Club, Epsom, NH

Free food, cash bar, raffles And lots of fun for a good cause

Join in the fight for Breast Cancer

WHERE: Elk's Club, Epsom NH

When: Saturday April 19^th

TIME: 7 to 11

ADMISSION IS FREE!

Live Entertainment by

Schrödinger's Cat

Cash bar, food, lots of raffles and fun

My name is Patricia Matthews

And I am walking in the

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

This is my Fifth year to participate in the walk

I am a two time breast cancer survivor

This is a chance for me to make a difference

I walk for my daughter, family, friends and

Survivors

This is 40 miles in two days

And I would walk 1000 miles

For a cure

Please help me raise my $1800.00

So I can walk this year

Log onto http://tinyurl.com/2h9nnd

This is an emotional journey for all the

Walkers, crew and staff that make this

Wonderful event happen.

Take care and remember early detection can save lives

It saved mine TWICE!

How would you react to be told you had cancer and you didn't? I am a two time breast cancer survivor. I was 32 years old when I went through a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery and chemotherapy treatments and four years later was diagnosed again but received a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery February 1st without chemotherapy because the cancer was non-invasive. I was so happy to hear "we were able to get clean margins, you do not need any further treatment." Chemotherapy was so hard and dreaded the thought of the chance of going through it again. I went to see my oncologist two days ago and sat in his office, watched him open my chart and say "you had two positive lymph nodes." I said "NO" and began to cry and explain how I was told that the cancer did not spread and I did not need any further treatment. My oncologist turned my chart and said let's read this together and with tears in my eyes I started to read and nothing made sense to me and then I understood why. THEY WERE NOT MY RESULT'S! I couldn't believe it. The results were for someone with the same last name as me but different first name and date of birth. I was so upset to know the women with invasive breast cancer could have been given the wrong information. What if my pathology report was in her chart and she thinks she has non-invasive breast cancer? Maybe this is why we not longer have paper charts, who knows but it was an emotional draining mistake. I DO NOT have cancer any more and my surgeon did get clean margins. Can anyone give me any advice and has this happened to anyone before? I do not want this to happen to anyone else it was an awful experience.

Check out my personal page for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

LAST CHANCE TO CREW IN 2008! I am registered to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The Boston Team is trying to get a friend or co-worker or cousin (or sister or boyfriend or mom or chiropractor) to participate too. I have told everyone about it. Everyone has brochures. Many have seen the website (http://www.avonwalk.org Maybe they've even been to a Walk or Crew Introduction Meeting. Well, I am writing to let you know that this may be their last chance to Crew in 2008. The Boston Walk is nearly at full capacity of registered Crew members here in Boston! If you know someone who wants to participate as a Crew member, tell them not to delay-they should register today! Contact Tara Stepanian the Operations Manager of the Avon Walk – Boston P.S. Just a reminder – get a jump on our walk at our Expo and attend our informational clinics which will help you prepare for the walk weekend. The Expo will be held on March 15th. To learn more and to RSVP to attend, please click HERE. Check out my personal website http://tinyurl.com/2h9nnd

Mark your Calenders!

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer EXPO is coming your way!

Our annual EXPO is scheduled for Saturday, March 15th from 12 PM – 3 PM!

What can you do at the EXPO? Lots!

- Participate in a shoe fit clinic

- Learn about proper nutrition for training

- Take a yoga/stretching clinic

- Learn how to "have fun with fund-raising"

- Drop off any check donations (with coupons!) that you may have on hand

- Take part in a training walk!

And much more!

Our EXPO will be held this year at:

Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center

915 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston, MA 02215

It has been three weeks after going through my mastectomy and reconstructive surgery and I am feeling much better. I have been slowly returning to my routine but am still getting use to my new body part. I am sharing this with everyone with hopes of helping and give other women an understanding of what they might go through when dealing with a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. My breast is not as swollen and is beginning have a more defining shape. I was able to have my stitches and drain out last week. The stitches were easy but I will let you know the drain coming out was something I hope that I do not have to do again. I felt every inch of the two feet of tubing that was removed and after it was removed it burned for a minute and I could feel where the tube once was. It was not the most pleasant thing I have ever gone through and it is something I will never forget. Now that is behind me I see both my oncologist and surgeon next week to look everything over and see how I am healing. I think I am doing great but I do have a small amount of discomfort in one area that is slowly going away. Now I am going to be working on my benefit to raise money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will be doing the walk in Boston again this year and have to get going on this NOW! If you would like to donate to a cause to help in the fight against breast cancer please visit my home page. Your contribution will help to support medical research into the possible causes of and cure for breast cancer, education and early detection programs, and clinical care and support services for women with breast cancer in communities across the country. There is a special focus on helping medically under served women, the poor, minorities, the elderly, or those with inadequate health insurance. Please visit my home page.

Take Care,

Patty

Join us Wednesday, February 20, 2008 between 9:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, for our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference on Sex, Intimacy, and Breast Cancer, where Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D., and Kara Nakisbendi, M.D. will answer your questions about sexual side effects of breast cancer and breast cancer treatment, and what you can do about them.

Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D., is a renowned psychologist with a special interest in helping people resolve or manage their sexual problems, especially those problems connected with a chronic illness such as cancer. A Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Schover is also the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters. She has written patient education booklets published by the American Cancer Society--"Sexuality and Cancer: For the Woman with Cancer and Her Partner" and "Sexuality and Cancer: For the Man with Cancer and His Partner." She coauthored the textbook Sexuality and Chronic Illness: A Comprehensive Approach. Her research currently focuses on designing computer or web-based interventions to help cancer survivors with making decisions about fertility preservation, coping with fertility-related distress, and resolving sexual problems. Dr. Schover is also a member of breastcancer.org's Professional Advisory Boa
rd, which you can read about here:
http://www.breastcancer.org/about_us/pab/index.jsp

Kara Nakisbendi, M.D. is a Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, a Board Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. After four years in a busy obstetrics and gynecology practice at Lankenau and Paoli Hospitals in Pennsylvania, Dr. Nakisbendi decided to open Nakisbendi & Associates, which provides comprehensive gynecological care throughout a women's life cycle in a compassionate and supportive manner. In addition to routine gynecology, Dr. Nakisbendi also addresses complex gynecologic issues. She has special interests in menopausal changes, adolescent gynecology, sexual dysfunction, recurrent vaginitis, and vulvar pain disorders. She is also director of The Nakisbendi Women's Center which offers acupuncture, psychotherapy and holistic health counseling for women looking for a holistic approach to health and wellness.

To join the conference on February 20, go to http://www.breastcancer.org any time between 9:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. EST* and then click on the "Join Conference" button. No special software is required. A transcript of the conference will be posted on the site by February 27, 2008.


Research News: January and February
----------------------
Here are just a few of the Research news articles we published in January and February:

Digital mammogram best for younger women: study
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/new_research/20080129b.jsp

Even small copay deters mammogram use - US study
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/new_research/20080123.jsp

Statins not seen linked to breast cancer risk
http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/environmental/new_research/20080124.jsp

Smoking ups risk with radiation for breast cancer
http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/environmental/new_research/20080122.jsp

I had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery on Friday, February 1. I was in a lot of pain on Friday and it has slowly decreased everyday. I came home Sunday morning just in time to rest up before the Super Bowl. I fell asleep while the New England Patriots were winning then I woke upand was hoping I was still dreaming because of the score. My team the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl what a sad moment but they are still a phenomenal team and is still a winner in my eyes! Each day after my surgery is getting better and I have friends picking Mary up to pick up to and from school. Chuck has been either making dinner or bringing dinner home. Mary who is my five year old daughter is going to be a nurse when she grows up because she tucks me in, asks me what she can do to help. She is not afraid of seeing stitches, drains and deals well with any part of the healing process. I would like to thank everyone for all the e-mails, phone calls, flowers and prayers they sent my way. It truly means a lot to me and helps me stay positive! My husband Chuck turned 46 and for the first time in our time together I did not have a present for him. I felt to awful but he looked at me and said I already have my present, "I have You". What a guy. I love him so much! Happy Birthday Chuckie...

Take Care Patty M.

If you are in New Hampshire Southern New Hampshire University is hosting a "Think Pink" event with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society.
I will not be able to attend because I will still be mending from my mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. If you love basketball and want a fun day out with the family or you want to support cancer awareness put on your favorite pink item and cheer for Southern New Hampshire University Women's Basketball Team! If you do not have anything pink there will be "think pink" T-shirts for sale.

Remember early detection can save you life!

Patty Matthews

I read this article today and found it very interesting and thought I would share it. Click here to go to the web site.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Not only does hormone replacement therapy raise the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, it really raises the risk of a specific type of malignancy: lobular breast cancer.

The study is one of the largest to focus on lobular cancer, which accounts for about 15 percent of all cancers. Ductal cancer is the most common form of breast cancer, accounting for 70 percent of all cases, according to the study.

"We found that women who were using combined estrogen and progestin hormone therapy had a nearly 300 percent increased risk in their risk of lobular, but only a 40 percent increase in their risk of ductal cancer," said study author Dr. Christopher I. Li, an associate member in the epidemiology program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. "There is clear, strong, consistent evidence that using combined estrogen and progestin hormone therapy increases a woman's risk of breast cancer. It is less well known how these hormones influence risk of different types of breast cancer."

"This is basically another confirmation of previous information," added Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La. "People who take combined estrogen and progestin are running a significant risk of cancer and heart disease. They really need to know that."

Others, however, downplayed the results.

"I'm a bit underwhelmed with this article," said Dr. Steven Goldstein, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine and author of The Estrogen Alternative and Could It Be Perimenopause?. "Nothing in this paper is new as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't change the current recommendations which are that we should use hormone therapy in 1) the lowest effective dose; 2) for the shortest period of time possible; and 3) consistent with patient treatment goals with reevaluation periodically."

Previous studies, namely the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), found that combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy increased the risk of breast cancer. Further studies have indicated that the risk is greater with lobular carcinoma than with ductal carcinoma, but these studies have not been definitive.

Lobular cancer develops in the areas of the breast that contain milk-producing glands and is more likely to be estrogen-receptor positive and therefore responsive to targeted treatments, resulting in an 11 percent lower risk of death when compared with its ductal counterpart.

Ductal cancer develops in the ducts that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple and is more difficult to detect.

The rates of both invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and invasive ductal-lobular cancer (IDLC) increased 52 percent and 96 percent, respectively, from 1987 to 1999 in the United States. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) increased only 3 percent during the same period, according to the study.

Since the WHI results were announced in 2003 and 2004, HRT use has declined 38 percent to 68 percent in the United States. Nevertheless, some 57 million prescriptions for postmenopausal HRT are still filled each year, according to the study.

Li and colleagues looked at more than 1,500 postmenopausal women, 1,044 with breast cancer and 469 controls. Among the women with breast cancer, 324 had lobular cancer, 196 had mixed ductal-lobular cancer, and 524 had ductal cancer. The women were 55 to 74 years of age and had been diagnosed between 2000 and 2004.

Women currently using combined hormone therapy had a 2.7-fold increased risk of lobular cancer and a 3.3-fold increased risk of mixed ductal-lobular cancer. The increased risk was seen only in women who had used combined HRT for three or more years.

In women who had mixed cancers, HRT increased the risk of tumors that were primarily lobular but not those that were primarily ductal in nature. Current use of combined HRT was associated with about double the risk of tumors that were mostly lobular (although this was not considered statistically significant), about a fivefold increased risk of mostly ductal, and a 7.7-fold increased risk in tumors that were mixed in features.

Like the WHI, this study did not show an increased risk of breast cancer in women who were taking estrogen-only hormone therapy (only recommended for women who have had a hysterectomy).

Amanda Gardner U.S News and World Report (2007) Retrieved on February 16, 2007 from www.health.usnews.com

Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a women who was scared and not completely knowing what to expect after her surgery. She was diagnosed in October with DCIS non invasive breast cancer. My experience starts in 2003 with my first mastectomy. I had a tram flap reconstruction with four lymph nodes removed. I was sent home 4 days with two drains and pain medication and a port. The nurses and staff were wonderful and if you do not understand anything ask or call and ask questions. It is more emotionally draining then anything to prepare for the operation. On February 1st I will be having my second mastectomy with a saline implant because you can only have the tram flap once and I was not a big fan of the free flap (it will leave you uneven) and I would had to travel to Boston. I will be in the hospital in a couple of days and sent home with two drains, pain medication and limited feeling in my left arm. They swelling and feeling will come back in my arm to a degree but I think it depends on the individual. A big help is walking your fingers up the wall to help increase mobility and circulation. It helped me a lot and my doctor made me start doing it with in the first week.

These are some of my experiences. Please send words of encouragement and any personal story's that you feel comfortable sharing to help breast cancer patients prepare for what the future might bring to them. I have learned over the years that people are willing to share their story's and I have learned a lot from other survivors which has better prepared me for my second time dealing with this disease.

Take Care Patty

How can a woman really prepare for losing a breast? Being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time is emotionally draining. I am scheduled to have my mastectomy and reconstructive surgery on February 1st but my surgeons are trying to schedule the surgery earlier. I still am unsure of my treatment until my sentinel node and the rest of the cancerous breast tissue are tested. I am praying every day that all I need to have done will be the mastectomy. I have been snowmobiling and spending lots of time with my family to keep my mind off of everything. My husband Chuck is now a non-smoker! This is a huge accomplishment for chuck and I am very proud of him. This is truly the best gift my husband has ever given me. Tasha our new puppy is growing and bring us much joy. The cat is not too happy but hopefully will start to be more accepting but I am not holding my breath. I am very grateful for all the wonderful e-mails and phone calls I have received it means a lot to both me and my family. Let's all continue to pray for a cure!

I was diagnosed with cancer again and needed something to keep my spirits up. I am surrounded by friends and family which keeps my mind off of having cancer again. I have a four year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Ginger. Ginger is a wonderful dog that brings me joy, kisses and companionship. I thought well maybe Ginger would like a sister. I found a breeder and told the breeder I was just diagnosed with cancer again and wanted to have another dog to keep my Ginger company when I can't. Puppy's are so sweet and wonderful. We named her Tasha Honey Matthews. I love her so much and she has brought so much joy to our family already. I know that both Ginger and Tasha will help me through my cancer diagnosis.

Please share your story's

It is never to early to join the Avon Walk for breast cancer. I asked my husband to pay for my registration fee's for a Christmas present. This year is going to be a more emotional year for my family. It is still sinking in that I have breast cancer again at age 37. I will continue to fight and look forward to the walk because it give me such a feeling of belonging. Got to the Avon Walk and register. It is a wonderful Christmas present for yourself or a friend that could join you. I hope to see you there!

2008 Events Houston April 12 - 13, 2008 Washington, DC May 3 - 4, 2008 Boston May 17 - 18, 2008 Chicago May 31 - June 1, 2008 Rocky Mountains June 28 - 29, 2008 San Francisco July 12 - 13, 2008 Los Angeles September 13 - 14, 2008 New York October 4 - 5, 2008 Charlotte October 25 - 26, 2008

Christmas is approaching quickly. One spirit of the holidays can be to provide the opportunity to give a life-changing gift. The Avon Foundation offers a Registry Tribute Fund which allows you to create your own Avon Breast Cancer Crusade or Speak Out Against Domestic Violence fund-raising web page.

This is a wonderful opportunity to have your loved ones make a donation in Lieu of receiving gifts, allows you to tell your story and why you are supporting the cause and increases the power of awareness. In the United State another person is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes. I have been struck with breast cancer twice in my life and I am only 37. Breast cancer is a fight I will continue to battle with emotionally, physically and proactively to help find a cure for this horrible disease.

Give your friends and family the opportunity to change lives and contribute to a cause close to your heart. You can be proud to know that the money raised will make a difference and support the Avon Foundation's mission of improving the lives of women and their families by eradicating breast cancer and ending domestic violence.

Take Care Patty